Our lives begin to end when we fall silent about the things that matter

This is something that Martin Luther King said once. I refer to that quote often now, as I delve deeper and deeper into speaking out against this immoral and dishonorable war in Iraq as a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War and also as a conscientious objector who refused to participate in it.

"Our lives begin to end when we fall silent about the things that matter."

I refer to this quote when I encounter people who advocate just keeping one's mouth shut and looking out for one's self, even to the point of advocating that even if we disagreed with the Iraq war, that we have to support our government in what they're doing now.

"Our lives begin to end when we fall silent about the things that matter."

I remember this statement when I feel anger creep over me at the thousands of US service members who were betrayed by our high officials in sending them to a war of choice, rather than one of a last resort. And especially I reference it in regards to those Democratic members of Congress who, while not directly sending them to war, failed to speak out against it at the time. From where I stand, "political pragmatism" is hardly an excuse for failing to take a moral stand against such a grave injustice.

"Our lives begin to end when we fall silent about the things that matter."

Most of all, I remember these words to inspire me that a better future isn't something that comes about immediately -- the goals we place may not even be achieved within our lifetimes -- but that the important thing is that we never waver in seeing the better world we want to help create, and that we keep the hope alive in making that world a reality.

"Our lives begin to end when we fall silent about the things that matter."

Martin Luther King not only spoke these words, he lived them. And even though his tireless work toward a better tomorrow resulted in the loss of his own life, he created the ripples in still waters that affected millions of others to carry on his vision of peace with justice and brotherhood into the future. Thank you, Martin.

I was watching "The Grapes of Wrath" on TV, and had to turn it off, because I see our nation slowly slipping back to those days. The utter lack of compassion, "survivor" mentality, and complete disrespect for the poor drove me to tears.

I once believed in our nation. People like MLK, John and Bobby Kennedy inspired me to reach higher, to do more, to make a difference (and I was only a kid then).

Where are those leaders today? All I hear is "the government doesn't want to care for people anymore, so get your own damned Social Security. Don't have any money? Nothing to invest? It's your own damned fault that you were born into poverty."

And Halliburton, the pharmaceutical companies, and all the rest gorge on the feast of rotting human corpses. Immoral doesn't even begin to describe it. Amoral may be closer, but we need a better word to call total depravity of soul what it is.

FDR was certainly with his faults. Some of them were quite glaring. But then again, historical greatness tends to amplify both a person's strengths and weaknesses, and FDR was no different in that regard.

However, he was a person who came along as President at a critical moment in history, a time in which America could have just as easily slipped into Fascism. FDR avoided this fate because he dared to appeal to the better nature of people. He gave people hope, rather than pointing the blame at others. He believed that government could be a force for good in people's lives, and set about to make that happen. It is for this reason, and not any particular policy or programs, that I believe the shadow of FDR held sway over the American political scene for such a long time.

Then, along came Ronald Reagan. Reagan preached a mantra couched in boundless optimism, but the truth is he appealed to the worse side of human nature. Greed was suddenly fashionable again, and intervention on behalf of those who needed help was not. Like FDR through the middle of the 20th century, we are still living under the shadow of Reagan. More than anything, we need another person in the spirit of FDR to come along again and tell us that it's OK to care about the downtrodden, and that we live in a society together, a society that will cease to function should we all look out for ourselves as opposed to working together and helping one another.

I long for peace and progress... I long for a home. I'm notcomfortable in the place I find myself.

Alrighty, I'll say it...

"It's OK to care about the downtrodden, and that we live in a societytogether, a society that will cease to function should we all lookout for ourselves as opposed to working together and helping oneanother."

Whenever I feel as though it's not worth the fight, and what can just one person do, esp. one who's new to the fight and hardly knows where to start, it is so very important to read posts like yours to help keep the flame alive in each of us. Thank you so much for your clear thinking and writing. I agree completely that we need a person with the spirit of FDR to lead us back to caring about each other. Who will it be?

This is something I've been wanting to talk to my parents about. I I'll share your post with them because it's concise yet inspiring. My parents have recently decided to stick their heads in the sand, soon after the election. Especially my dad. He describes himself as an optomist, and although I believe in having an optimistic outlook in general, I know that it must be balanced with a REALISTIC outlook. He's been saying that he just can't stand paying attention to most of what's going on out there, and that he's just going to pay attention to the positive and wait out the 4 more years.

15. If you only pay attention, you'll slip into the depths of depression...

The key is not to just pay attention, but to get involved. It has been widely shown that people who get involved in struggles like this often end up feeling better about the world, because the struggle itself gives people HOPE.

"There comes a time when silence is betrayal." is the one that has been carrying me through as we stand in protest of the war at our monthly peace rallies. MLK and Gandhi are true inspirations for the times. Appropriate in this Season of Nonviolence honoring them both. I wish we still had them with us today.

No truer words were ever spoken. I'm currently reading a book titled, " My soul looks back in wonder" , and it details all of the small acts people contributed toward the civil rights movement. All of those sit-ins and boycotts, however small they may have seemed at the time, contributed a great deal to the over-all advancement of the movement as a whole and to a better America.

WELCOME TO DU! We do seem to forget (how easy THAT is!) that all the seemingly small events add up and make a large contribution to a better America. At the time these events happen, though, we are in the middle of the forest and cannot see our way out to the brighter day. These bad days shall pass, and we'll have much happier times. sigh.....Hopefully soon...

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